From the pens of Jonathan L. Ramseur, Tadlock Cowan, Elena H. Humphreys, Julie M. Lawhorn, Anna E. Normand, Charles V. Stern and Megan Stubbs comes the CRS report (30 July 2020): Federally Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater, Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure.
1) Download CRS_Report_Fed_Projetcs_Pgms_Water_Infra_30July2020
From the report:
Summary
For decades, Congress has authorized and modified federal programs to help communities address water supply and water infrastructure needs, including both wastewater and drinking water. Departments and agencies that administer this assistance include the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Commerce’s EconomicDevelopment Administration (EDA).
These agencies administer these programs in multiple ways. In terms of funding mechanisms, projects developed or assisted by Reclamation and USACE are often funded through direct, individual project authorizations from Congress. In contrast, the other agencies administer programs with standing authorizations that establish eligibility criteria rather than identify specific projects. A key practical difference is that with the individual project authorizations, there is no predictable assistance or even guarantee of funding after a project is authorized, because funding must be secured each year in the congressional appropriations process. The programs, on the other hand, have generally received some level of annual appropriations and have set program criteria and processes by which eligible parties can seek funding.
In terms of scope and mission, the primary responsibilities of the federal agencies discussed in this report cover a wide range. For example, EPA’s authorities relate to protecting public health and the environment. The EDA and HUD focus on community and economic development. Likewise, the specific programs differ in several respects. Some are national in scope (those of USDA, EPA, and EDA, for example), while others are regionally focused (Reclamation’sprograms and projects). Some focus primarily on urban areas (HUD) and some on rural areas (USDA), and others do not distinguish based on community location or size (e.g., EPA, USACE, EDA).
Federal funding for these programs and projects varies greatly. Congressional funding for the water supply and wastewater and drinking water programs continue to compete with many other programs that are supported by discretionary spending. Stakeholders and others continue to call for increased appropriations for these programs. FY2020 appropriations highlights include the following:
$1.126 billion for capitalization grants to states under EPA’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan program fordrinking water systems and $1.639 billion for EPA’s SRF program for wastewater projects;
$55 million for subsidy costs for the EPA-administered Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, allowing the agency to provide credit assistance for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, not to exceed $11.5 billion;
$443 million for grants and approximately $1.4 billion in loan authority for USDA’s rural water and wastedisposal program;
$3.425 billion for HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program (water and wastewater projects are among many eligible uses);
$100 million for USACE environmental infrastructure projects; and
$67 million for Reclamation’s Title XVI reclamation/recycling projects.
Check out Table 1 - it's too big to reproduce here. Great summary.
Here are some more relevant CRS reports, each short (two or three pages).
2) Download CRS_Insight_Water_Infrastructure_116th_Congress_28July2020
3) Download CRS_InFocus_WRDA_Primer_28July2020
Enjoy!
"I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get in the way. To find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble." - Rep. John R. Lewis
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